The Steward, an apartment community in Tigard, Oregon, is aptly named. The development is leading the way in its market as the first property to achieve Path to Net Zero certification.
The project was recognized as the multifamily development of the year in Portland as part of the 2025 CoStar Impact Awards, which were judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
Developed by DIG Real Estate, the 55-unit apartment community is a fully electric property without a carbon operating footprint. Its energy use intensity of 10 makes it about 70% more energy efficient than other new multifamily properties in the market.
Residents receive energy through an electricity credit program, which is a monthly credit back to reduce or eliminate residents’ monthly electric utility bill. The property has EV chargers at a ratio of one dedicated parking space per three residences, with plans of scaling up to a one-to-one ratio through future-proof investment.
About the project: The apartment community was developed by DIG Real Estate, with a design by Leeb Architects. Its construction timeline was from March 2023 to October 2024.
What the judges said: "The Steward combines difficult fundamentals (an urban, mixed-use building) with innovative energy sustainability. The combination is a building that deserves commendation for pushing the envelope without compromising on walkability, responsible use of land resources, and net-positive contribution to the municipal taxbase," said Will Dowdy, community development director for the city of Eugene. And
Blake St. Onge, managing principal at Cresa, said, "Developing a fully electric property with no carbon footprint is pretty amazing and seems they have a path to Net Zero Certification, sharing with neighbors for credits, etc. and is beautifully designed."
They made it happen: Principals Brenner Daniels and Josh Daniels of developer DIG Real Estate, along with Development Manager John MacKinnon. Robert Leeb of Leeb Architects was the principal in charge of the project and the firm's Steve Sandstrom was the project architect. Financing was arranged by Bryce Payne, senior vice president of Banner Bank. Other key players include Chris Duffin, president of LMC Construction; Rich Mason, director of field development for LMC Construction; Matt Lewis with Stantec; and Sean Farrelly, redevelopment manager with the City of Tigard. The building's property manager is Bluestone Real Estate Services.